Double Bass Need help with Troll mic / AI Sl-2 mystery

[fasternak]

Hi - My Troll ribbon mic works via XLR to 1/4 plug with my QSC K-12 PA. But it’s not working at all with my Acoustic Image Clarus SL-2. It used to work. I put the Troll away for a couple of years. So perhaps I’ve forgotten how to use a mic with this amp. Clarus gain and master are up and working fine with piezo. But I’m not getting a peep from Troll out of either channel. 10 db boost button on, Klark Ct1 mic booster, Swapped cables, swapped Troll with sm-57 - Nothing! I am rather famous for being easily confused. So I’m pretty sure I am overlooking something simple here. Can anyone here offer me clue?

 

[DoubleMIDI]

The SM-57 into the Clarus with the same cable (XLR to XLR or XLR to 1/4“?) or or a different one of the same type doesn‘t work as well?

I hope you didn‘t enable phantom power as that can kill a ribbon mic.

 

[Wasnex]

I hope you didn‘t enable phantom power as that can kill a ribbon mic.

Yes, this is an important issue to clarify.

I found a web page that says the Troll is an active ribbon and requires power. Apparently this is wrong. My guess is whoever wrote the page was using an inline phantom-powered mic pre, such as a Cloudlifter or FetHead.

I could not find any sort of manual for the Troll.

However, I just found a relevant post from @BrandonEssex

Ref: Troll Microphone

Phantom power is only a concern if someone is using a patchbay. A trs type connector temporarily cross wires a mic, leading to ribbon stretching if phantom is on at the time of the cross wiring.
​

This warning is definitely relevant to the AI Clarus SL-2: DON'T TURN ON THE PHANTOM POWER

 

[fasternak]

Hi - My Troll ribbon mic works via XLR to 1/4 plug with my QSC K-12 PA. But it’s not working at all with my Acoustic Image Clarus SL-2. It used to work. I put the Troll away for a couple of years. So perhaps I’ve forgotten how to use a mic with this amp. Clarus gain and master are up and working fine with piezo. But I’m not getting a peep from Troll out of either channel. 10 db boost button on, Klark Ct1 mic booster, Swapped cables, swapped Troll with sm-57 - Nothing! I am rather famous for being easily confused. So I’m pretty sure I am overlooking something simple here. Can anyone here offer me clue?

Thanks for the heads-up. I did try phantom via Klark CT1 (Cloudlifter alternative). But only because the Troll wasn’t working at all with the Clarus. The sm-57 is faintly working in place of the Troll via Clarus. And now I am realizing that neither 10 db boost buttons (ch1-2) is working. And one of the pots is not working either. The troll and sm-57 are working fine with the K12 powered speaker. So it seems I need to send my amp back to the factory for repair. A couple of years ago I failed to pen the amp under my bungee and I pulled it off the cabinet. Face plant! Factory replaced the broken pots - my fault but repair was miraculously covered by an awesome warranty. This is probably related somehow to that disaster. Think I’m on the right track here. Thanks for the help. - Oh, shoot! I just replied to my own query. The fact that I’m able use my amp at all with this brain is something of a miracle.

 

[fasternak]

The SM-57 into the Clarus with the same cable (XLR to XLR or XLR to 1/4“?) or or a different one of the same type doesn‘t work as well?

I hope you didn‘t enable phantom power as that can kill a ribbon mic.[/QUOTE

Uhm … it appears that I replied to my own query instead of your response. I wasn’t kidding when I mentioned being easy confused. . Hope you find my response to you down the thread. Thanks for your help.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Seems you found your problem. I missed some info before like the phantom powered ribbon preamp and how the Sm-57 performed, so I asked.
But since you mentioned everything in the reply to Wasnex, that‘s fine.

If you have a condenser that needs phantom power you can check if that works at all, too quiet or normally. But it seems that phantom power is OK and the mic input gain stage is damaged.